Fitbit Charge 3 vs. iPhone Health App Review: What’s Better?

I LOVED my Fit-Bit One. Unfortunate I lost it. So when I discovered several Bed Bath and Beyond gift cards, I decided to treat myself to a new and improved fitness tracker. After watching several positive reviews, I decided the Fit Bit Charge 3 was right for me. Soon after purchasing however I noticed it may not be right for everybody. In this review, I compared the Charge 3 to the iPhone Health app. I also want to show you a possible shortcoming of FitBit Charge 3 you may not know about. If your considering a fitness tracker, you'll want to know what I discovered.

Also See This review

Fit Bit Experiments

For this review, I conducted 2 experiments to check the accurately of the Charge 3:

Basic exercise detection (default mode)

Biking mode

I also wanted to compare its accuracy to the fitness tracker health app built into my iPhone 6 S Plus.

Let's look at each trial separately

Basic Exercise Detection

I bike to the gym using a known round-trip distance of 7 miles according to my bike's computer. To test the accuracy of the Charge 3, I wore the Fit Bit on my non-dominant wrist as I biked to -and from -the gym. I purposely did not set the Fit Bit to “biking mode” but instead just used the automatic movement detection, which is the default setting.

What I found was surprising.

While in auto detect mode, the total distance I biked to the gym was not accurately added to my daily steps. This previously was when I used the FitBit One.

This is my total steps and mileage for the day. As you can see, both seemed to miss that I biked 7 miles I biked.

Did Fit Bit Work In The Gym?

The Charge 3 only seemed to pick up activity when my arms were moving. For example, when I used the leg press, no steps were recorded. I noticed this same thing occurred while I was teaching a class. Even though I was not walking, the Charge 3 said I logged over 7,000 steps for the class!

I must do a lot of gesticulating with my hands 🙂

In the next experiment, I activated the bike mode and went for a bike ride.

How did that go…

Experiment 2: Fit Bit Bike Mode

In this second experiment, I switched the Charge 3 to biking mode. I also double checked the FitBit was linked the GPS on my iPhone. I then biked 6.7 miles which was confirmed by my bikes computer and the Mile IQ travel app. At the end of my ride, I checked both my iPhone 6S plus health app and Charge 3. Results for the Charge 3 were much better:

Charge 3: 1279 steps (7.03 miles)

iPhone Health App: 2403 steps (0.43 miles)

While in biking mode, the Charge 3 more accurately logged the distance I traveled, although it was a tad more than what my bike's computer and Mile IQ app said I biked (6.7 miles and 6.8 miles respectively).

Notice the steps taken are a lot less than the mileage biked. This tells me that even when in biking mode, Charge 3 does not count pedaling as steps when it's attached to your wrist.

Previously, when I used the FitBit One, pedaling converted into steps more easily because I put it in my pocket (as opposed to wearing it on the wrist).

As for the iPhone Health App, it drastically underestimated the distance I biked. Could this be because I had the phone mounted to my handlebars? It was not in my pocket.

Is The Fit Bit Charge 3 Worth It?

If you are looking for a stylish fitness tracker/watch to log your steps while walking or hiking, then the Charge 3 will work well for you. It also gives you info about your exercise heart rate and resting heart rate which is nice to have. While the Charge 3 did measure my bicycling distance when in biking mode, the distance was a bit more than what my bike's computer indicated. For most, this may not be a deal breaker.

Personally, I prefer the FitBit One over the Charge 3 because I only care about total steps taken and I can put it in my pocket and forget about it. While the FitBit One is no longer officially sold, you can probably still find it online.

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Credentials

Joe Cannon, MS has written for several publications including The Journal of Strength and Conditioning, Today's Dietitian, and Prevention. He's been quoted in the New York Times, lectured to NASA and has been a content consultant for Dateline NBC. He's the author of the first book ever published on rhabdomyolysis and exercise.
Joe Cannon, has a BS in Chemistry and Biology and a MS in Exercise Science. He is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) and a personal trainer certified by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).